


A Kept Man

by ranereins (shadowintime)



Category: Chaos (2011)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Gen, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-09
Updated: 2011-04-09
Packaged: 2017-10-17 19:32:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowintime/pseuds/ranereins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened between the time that Billy dropped Rick off at home in 1x01 and the next morning at work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Kept Man

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for 1x01. This was written for the [fandomverse](http://community.livejournal.com/fandomverse/) big bang challenge. The prompts used for this fic were 'breaking point' and 'trust'.

Rick watched as Billy drove away. “I have cards?!” He stared after the car incredulously long after it was out of sight, his mind trying to come to terms with all that had happened that day. When reality set back in, he trudged up the steps to his house, his shoulders slumped, fumbled with the lock and dropped his keys by the door with little care that they landed on the floor.

How had everything gone so wrong? When he’d left the house this morning, he’d been on the way to a promising new career in the CIA. Instead though, he had been treated as a terrorist at the front gate (which he’d been willing to overlook because security was essential at the CIA), laid off due to budget cuts before he even began his first day of work, rehired by means of manipulation into an undesirable (not to mention dishonest and despicable) position as a mole, tricked and blackmailed by his teammates who realized that he was a mole, and therefore had essentially become their pet lap dog.

Rick plopped down on his couch, not bothering to turn the light on, and ran his fingers over his newly issued badge. All he’d ever wanted was a job in the CIA, but this was not the job that he’d imagined, not the job he’d worked so hard for all of his life. Could he really continue on, pretending that he was okay with the situation he was in? He didn’t have to think about it, he already knew the answer.

With the look and stance of a defeated man, Rick pushed off of the couch, grabbed a case of beer from the fridge and went to bed.

 

“Rick, oh Rick,” a somewhat familiar Scottish voice called. “Come on Sleeping Beauty, wake up. You’ll be late for work.”

Rick frowned and rolled over slightly to find Billy lounging in his bed, leaning over him. He jumped slightly, startled by the man’s presence. “What the… how’d you get into my house?”

Billy grinned brightly. “Ah, a magician never reveals his tricks.”

“You’re not a magician,” Rick said grumpily, rolling back over. “Get out.”

“Oh come now sleepy head, there’s no sleeping in on work days.”

“There is when you don’t have a job.”

“But you do have a job, remember?”

“Not any more… I quit.”

Billy arched a brow. “Quit? You mean we broke you already? But you had so much fight in you! One of the things I love about you.” Rick said nothing. “What exactly was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back? The setup or the blackmailing?”

“It was all of it!” Rick exclaimed. He rolled over, fire in his eyes. “You know what really just gets me though, what makes me want to strangle you all with my bare hands?”

“What?” Billy asked, his voice quiet but with a certain eagerness to it.

“You took ownership of me! You might as well put a collar on me and lead me around with a leash!”

“Kinky,” Billy said with a cheeky smirk. “We usually save that for the third date.” Rick glared up at him. “Look, it’s not so bad…”

“Yeah, try saying that from my point of view.”

“Once upon a time, I was in your place.” Rick looked at him, surprised by this new information. “Oh yes. I reacted much the same way you did… but with a bottle of whisky instead of a case of beer. I was angry, felt betrayed; I wanted to beat Michael to a pulp.” Billy took a swig from one of the half empty beer bottles, making a face at the warm liquid.

“So what’d you do?”

“I got plastered.”

Rick rolled his eyes. “I mean about the blackmail and ownership and everything.”

“Well, when I woke up the next day, Michael was sitting there beside me, just like I am now. I tried to strangle the bastard. But, once we got past that tussle, he told me that it was nothing personal and that it was just insurance until he was sure that he could trust me.”

“And that was enough for you?”

“No, not really,” Billy admitted. “He asked me if, before he blackmailed me, if I trusted him… really trusted him with my life, with everything. ‘Course I couldn’t say that I did. ' _So why should I automatically trust you?_ ' he said. ‘ _Trust is earned and as soon as you’ve earned mine, you’ll be free and clear and you’ll have the most loyal friend and coworker you could ever ask for. Besides, in the meantime, it’s not so bad being mine._ ’”

“So why isn’t Michael here giving me the same speech?”

Billy smirked. “I asked if I could have you. Early birthday present.”

Rick gave him a strange, almost slightly frightened look. “I… I’m not sure how to take that.”

“Be happy lad,” Billy said in a jovial tone, bright smile returning. “I’m much less of a bastard than Michael can be. Being the team leader, you’re freedom will still be at Michael’s discretion though, so don’t think you’re not still his bitch too when he wants you.”

Rick shook his head. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

Billy shrugged. “Ya can’t have everything. Now get up, get dressed; we’re going to be late for work.”

“And what am I supposed to do? Just go in there and pretend like I’m not a… a…”

“A kept man?”

“Exactly. You cannot walk into a room full of your peers with any sort of dignity like that.”

“Swallow your pride man! It’ll be over soon enough.” Rick looked thoughtful. Billy sighed deeply. “Good God man! Would you rather have your pride and no job… in this economy… or a job and a temporarily wounded pride? Actually, if you quit, we’ll all lose respect for you, so you’re pretty much screwed on that one.”

“I’ll go get dressed.” Rick scooted off of the bed, grabbed a suit from his closet and went into the bathroom to shower and dress.

Billy smirked. “Would you like me to come wash your back?”

“No.”

“Too bad.”


End file.
